Until You're Mine
by LoveWasOurs
Summary: A mess of a girl with a completely tainted history's and the gardener pretty boy with a loving mother's lives clash and they... fall in love?
1. Chapter 1

I was running. I could barely comprehend what just happened or who I was running from; I just knew that I needed to get away. My thick, long straight light brown hair rode the wind behind me as if it longed to stay back and let me leave it behind. I wished I could; I wished I could just leave everything behind and forget about everything. I didn't want to see anybody; nobody meant anything to me. I'd lost all hope for my life and all of the people in it a few months ago. My wide blue eyes darted back and forth for a place to hide; I needed to rest. My legs that I've used for running all my life were failing me. I was slowing down reluctantly. I felt as if my heart was going to beat out of my chest. My face was moist with sweat, which dried easily against the chilled wind blowing more delicately on my skin now that I was slowed down. It felt good. But only for a few moments before I felt a stinging pain in the back of my head. Someone jerked me back by my hair.

"I finally caught you, little girl," a sleazy voice said from behind me.

I pulled away from him and turned to face him, holding up my fist, although it was useless. I couldn't speak due to my burning lungs. I panted, my eyelids feeling heavy. No, I wouldn't pass out now; not here. "Leave me alone!" I said once I could finally speak, "I'm done working for you. I've paid off all my debt; I'm done being your little slave."

"Oh, no you're not," he said, smirking. He chuckled, studying my tired and angry expression. His breath smelled of meat and alcohol. His expression became twisted, the longer he gazed at me. "I don't know where you got the idea that you had choices," he spat, "Now just come back and you won't get hurt." He pulled me into his arms and I struggled away from him. He became even angrier to the point where he lifted his hand. It fell quickly and I suddenly felt a sting in my cheek. I staggered backwards a bit, gazing at him, frightened. It wasn't the first time that he's slapped me but it still shocked me whenever he did. I saw someone approached him from behind and tap him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir," a surely male but soft voice said to him. Once he turned around, the guy lifted a fist and hit him so hard, he fell to the floor. My eyes went wide, as I gazed at the bold guy. He had a wool hat on his head, covering his hair but the tips of it stuck out from under the hat. He had a serious look on his face and a half-zipped hoody over a t-shirt. He had on skinny jeans and sneakers on his feet. Physically, he didn't look like the kind of guy who could hit so hard. When my ex-boss on the floor attempted to sit up, looking infuriated, the guy kicked him back to the floor. This time my ex-boss groaned and crawled to a safe distance where he got to his feet and ran. I gazed up at the guy. He watched him run before his light colored eyes fell on me. I couldn't tell what color they were; the night sky was too dark upon us. "Are you cold?" he said, unzipping his hoody, "It's late, do you need me to walk you home?" He reached out to put the hoody over my shoulders and I pushed his hands away, stepping back.

"No, thanks," I said, sharply, "I'm fully capable of walking home alone."

His brow furrowed, but he said no more, drawing his hands clenching his hoody to his chest. I put my hands on my hips and turned. He didn't need to play knight; I'm my own knight. It wasn't like I was a damsel in distress waiting for my chivalrous prince charming to come and save me. I'm no little girl. I began walking before stopping in my tracks. I had no place to go now. I'd run away from my boss, who was taking me in. A gust of wind pushed past me and I shivered, my teeth chattering loudly. My back began to feel warm and in my peripheral vision, I could see two hands pulling that familiar gray hoody over my shoulders.

"You're shivering," he said, "And you look lost. I can't just leave you out here."

I sighed, knowing what he said was true, although I wasn't necessarily lost; I just didn't know where to go. I turned to face him, leaving the hoody hanging over my shoulders instead of putting my arms through the sleeves.

"Where do you live?" he said, "I know this city well. I can walk you home."

I nibbled on my lip. What was I to tell him? The truth was unacceptable, right? I needed to stay somewhere. I just couldn't think of anywhere. Nobody wanted me around; not even my very family. He seemed to notice the expression on my face and smiled. He had a cute smile.

"Are you not sure of where you live?" he said. It was a teasing, rhetorical question but I automatically took offense to it. I cast a cold glare at him and his smile faded. "I'm trying to help you, you know," he said, becoming irritated.

"I told you I didn't want your help," I said.

"What do you expect me to do?" he said, "Leave a teenaged girl outside in the cold this late at night? I can't do that, especially not after what just happened to you."

"Why?" I said, "It's not like we know each other."

"Would you rather me leave you here?" he said, "It's dangerous in this part of the city and I'm sure a girl like you would get in some kind of trouble easily."

I took offense to that, too. "A girl like me?" I said, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Never mind," he said, "I can't leave you here. So just tell me where you live, I'll walk you home, and then we never have to see each other again. Unless you do want to stay here."

"I have to stay here," I snapped, "I don't need your help."

"What do you mean you have to?" he said.

"I'm an orphan," I admitted, a resentful look still shadowing over my face.

"Oh," he said, "So you were living with that scumbag?" I nodded. He sighed deeply. "Look," he said, "You're probably not going to like this, but I have an extra room at my house. You can stay there."

I scowled. "Of course I couldn't do that," I said, "Don't you have parents? Siblings, maybe? I'd be intruding. Just because you think it's okay, it doesn't mean your family will."

"It [i]_is_[/i] okay," he said, "I know it is. Just come with me." He began walking and I stayed behind, hoping he wouldn't notice. I hated to steal his hoody, but I was sure he had more and I could use it as a blanket when I slept on the concrete. He turned and grabbed my hand, catching me off guard and began pulling me after him.

"Let go of me!" I said roughly.

"No," he said, "Then you'll sneak off."

"Why do you care so much?" I said, "Why does it matter to you where I'm staying? We don't even know each other."

"Because I just can't," he said, "I wasn't raised to be so inconsiderate." I sighed, letting him pull me along. Eventually, I gave in and walked at his side but he didn't let go of my hand.

"If you're going to kidnap me," I said, "Could you at least tell me your name?"

"Jade," he said.

"Jade," I repeated.

"What's your name?" he asked.

I considered giving him an alias. I wasn't planning on getting close to him and I knew I would push him away at all costs. Being close to me was dangerous for anybody. Was there even a point in giving him my real name? I lifted my gaze to him when I felt his gaze on me.

"Do you not have a name either?" he said, teasingly.

"Lucy," I said, quietly, "My name is Lucy."

He nodded once. The rest of the walk was silent although tons of questions were popping into my head. I wouldn't dare ask, though. Asking questions meant we were getting to know each other. I didn't want him to get close to me. Never; he couldn't or else I would never forgive myself. His hand was warm in mine, the friction just from our palms rubbing together seemed to warm my entire body. He led me on to the front porch of a house and the second he let go of my hand, shivers took over my body. He took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, holding it open for me. I reluctantly brushed past him, coming inside. He closed the door, turning on the light. It was a living room, and a fine one at that. The furniture all looked expensive, not to mention the size of the room.

"Mom," he called, "I'm home."

"Do you need something?" a feminine voice replied, "Go to bed."

"Yes, I do," he said, "I found us a pet."

"A pet?" his mother said before appearing down the hallway. She looked fairly young and had elegantly curly blonde hair that reached her chest. Her eyes were big and turquoise and very bright in the light. "Who's this?" she said.

"I found her in down town while I was going to get some sweets to eat," he gazed down at his hands, "Which I completely forgot about."

"What?" she said, "I'm confused. Why did you bring her here?"

He explained the whole scenario with my boss and the fact that I was a homeless orphan now and I needed somewhere to stay. He was a step ahead of me, so he couldn't see my facial expression. I took it as a free ticket to glare at him as hard as I could, for he was making it seem like I was some charity case. I didn't ask him to help me, he did it of his own accord.

"Oh, honey," his mother said, approaching me and taking me by the shoulders, "You can be my daughter, okay? I've always wanted one." My gaze wandered up to Jade, whose gaze was on me curiously. His eyes were just as bright and turquoise as his mother. I could see in the light now that the tips of his hair that came out of his wool hat were green. "Do you go to school?" his mother asked, interrupting my thoughts. I shook my head slowly.

"That explains things," Jade muttered, pulling off his hat to reveal a full head of messy green hair.

"Okay, honey," she said, "I'll enroll you in the same high school as Jade, first thing tomorrow."

"No," I said quickly, "I appreciate your kindness, but if you're going to enroll me in any high school at all, can it be one that he [i]_doesn't_[/i] go to?"

She looked confused. "Why?" she said, "I'm sure you two will be great friends once you get to know each other."

"No," I said, "Just trust me, you have to put me in a different school."

"Oh," she said, "Well, okay. You can go to Sweet Amoris, then, since that's the only other public high school in this city."

I nodded. "That will be great, thanks," I said.

She smiled again. "Okay, first thing tomorrow," she said, "What's your name, sweety?"

"Lucy," I told her.

"Alright," she said cheerfully, "Jade, show her to the guest room; that'll be her room from now on."

He looked reluctant, but I could see that there was another expression hidden under the one he showed; his eyes gave it away. Was it disappointment? I couldn't tell, but I knew it wasn't there a few moments ago. He led me up the stairs and down a hall to a room at the end. I opened the door to reveal a room with light blue wallpaper and floral bed sheets, with a light green dresser and a pink carpet. It was very… colorful. I turned to see that Jade wasn't behind me anymore. I sighed, entering the room. I closed the door, gazing at my new bed. How long would I have to stay here? I knew I needed to leave eventually; staying here too long was dangerous. I took off Jade's hoody upon realizing I was still wearing it and I left my new room, knocking gently on the door to the room next door.

"Do you need something?" Jade asked.

"Um," I said slowly, "I still have your hoody."

"Keep it," he said.

"Oh," I said, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he responded. I nodded once although he couldn't see me before I returned to my room. I wiggled out of my clothing and curled up under my new blanket, comfortably. Just because I wasn't going to stay here for long, that didn't mean I would be losing sleep; especially not on a bed as comfortable as this.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke early the next morning to someone knocking on my door. I sat up, my eyelids still heavy. I was sure my hair was a mess at this point. My mouth was dry and I had that early morning ache in my throat.

"Lucy, honey," Jade's mother said, "Are you awake yet? It's already noon."

I guess it wasn't as early as I thought. "Yeah," I said, "Just let me get dressed." I put on the same jeans and t-shirt I had on before and ran my fingers through my hair to straighten it out. I opened the door and she smiled at me.

"Let's go shopping," she said, grinning, "Your first day of school starts tomorrow, so today is kind of like your last day of summer."

"Oh, thank you," I said. I couldn't deny that I was desperately in need of clothes and other necessities, like a tooth brush perhaps. "Where's Jade?" I asked curiously, noticing that his bedroom was cracked open and it was quiet.

"He's at school," she said, "It's Tuesday."

"Oh," I said.

"Okay," she said, taking my wrist and leading me downstairs, "I've been saving up money for a shopping spree, but I guess shopping for you can be just as fun, right?" She grinned, leading me out the door and to the car.

After a couple of hours of shopping, Jade's mother took me home and did my makeup for fun, and had me try on a bunch of the clothes she got me. I was really thankful for all that she was doing for me so I did it willingly. I put on a skirt and a shirt that went with it, hoping to go for a walk. I sighed, opening the door slowly. I needed some fresh air and alone time. I stepped out and my gaze found Jade. He was wearing a t-shirt and green overalls, gloves on his hands and boots on his feet. He looked like he had just been gardening. His eyes sparkled as he gazed at me. He was gazing at me as if I was an angel who'd just descended in front of him. Here we were, gazing at each other in the middle of the hallway, our eyes speaking for us. He looked awfully cute in those overalls… no, wait, I couldn't think like that. I couldn't get close to him.

"Wow," he said quietly, "You look…"

Better with makeup on? I knew that. I also knew that I looked like a mess when he'd first seen me last night, probably more like a boy than a girl. I sighed when I realized he wasn't going to finish his sentence and brushed past him. I went outside through the back door and gazed around. This backyard was huge, and definitely very pretty. Behind his house was a lush forest and I could hear the sound of water trickling from inside of it. I approached it slowly and entered. After a few steps, I could see the little waterfall and stream. Tiny fish swam about in it and I saw an occasional toad. I sat beside the stream and drew my knees to my chest as I began to hum. Eventually my humming turned into quiet singing. I loved to sing; it was the one thing that would never forget about me. Everyone tended to; but I was used to being alone so it didn't matter much by now. I sang to my heart's content until I heard a footstep behind me. I immediately stopped and jumped to my feet, spinning around and preparing for a fight. I relaxed, but only slightly, when I saw that it was just Jade.

"Why did you stop singing?" he said, a hint of a smile on his face, "You have a beautiful voice."

I sighed, turning my back to him and sitting down again. He sat beside me, running his fingers through his hair. He was wearing a pair of black and loose skinny jeans with patches of disrepair here and there and he had a t-shirt on. The skater look definitely worked for him, but so did the gardener look. I thought for a second about what other looks would work on him and quickly pushed those thoughts away. Those weren't safe thoughts. I couldn't get close to him at all, and I could certainly never develop feelings for him.

"How did you know where I am?" I asked him quietly.

"I heard you singing," he said, "And this is my favorite place to go when I want to be alone."

"Alone," I repeated, "That's what I want to be. Why did you follow me out here?"

He breathed a chuckle. "Okay," he said, "I see you weren't just in a bad mood last night. Well when you want to stop acting like a brat, come and talk to me." He got to his feet and walked away. I fought the urge to call him back. I liked that he'd followed me out here but I just didn't want to get close to him. I nibbled on my lower lip for a few moments before turning.

"Jade, I…" I trailed off when I realized he was already gone. I mentally slapped myself for giving in to calling him back. It was useless; he will have forgotten about me this time, next year anyways. I'm used to moving from place to place all the time. I've met tons of people and I'm pretty sure most of them have already forgotten about me, including my own family.

I sat there for a few minutes longer until I decided being here made me feel disgusted with myself. I was used to pushing people away to keep them from getting close to me. I didn't want to see the side of people that Jade seemed to give hints of around me. I didn't want to become close with anybody. Nobody. It wasn't because of my selfishness. I just didn't want them to get hurt. Anyways, I'm not much. I knew nobody would be impressed with me, not physically or internally. My past wasn't just shameful, it was disgusting. It wasn't something I was proud of and certainly not something people would like about me. My personality loved to work against me. I knew it was better to keep people away but in my heart, I wanted someone, anyone, to know me; not just my name, someone to know what I'm really like.

I finally forced myself to my feet and slowly approached the house again. I kept my gaze on the floor, fighting back tears. Why were things like this? Why couldn't I just do what I wanted and be with who I wanted without risking their lives? I bit my lip hard, stepping inside. The second my foot touched the floor, Jade brushed past me, bumping my shoulder as he did so. I turned, my gaze following him as he turned down the driveway until he disappeared around the corner of the home. I shook my head, going inside. I sat at the kitchen table and buried my face in my arms and cried. Sometimes this happened to me when I couldn't keep up the act any longer; sometimes I just needed to cry. Jade's mother was at work by now and Jade had gone out. I sat there and cried and cried until I lost track of time. I sat up and rubbed my eyes dry. I was sure it would show on my face that I'd been crying. I got to my feet, planning to hurry upstairs, bathe and get to bed. I took a step and felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" he asked me.

"Why are you so persistent?" I said, my voice shakier than usual.

"I'm trying to help you," he said.

"I told you from the beginning," I said, "I don't want your help."

I jerked away from him and wasn't able to take a single step before he spun me around and pulled me into his arms. Was this… a hug? I ended up crying again. Was this the first hug I've ever had? I don't remember. All I knew was that this made my insides feel so warm. I returned his hug as tightly as I could. After a few moments of crying into his chest, he broke the silence.

"Can you tell me now?" he asked quietly.

"You wouldn't understand," she said, her words sharp but her voice quiet.

"I don't care," he said, "You can tell me, I'll just listen. Even if I won't understand, I want you to get it off your chest."

"Get it off my chest?" I repeated slowly. Why did he care so much? This hug, and the way he was talking to me. It was making it difficult to push him away. Hugs were so comforting. Why did I have to be so deprived of affectionate things like hugs? Was it because I was just so unloved that I didn't deserve a hug? I bit my lip before saying quietly, "You wouldn't understand because you've had your mom your whole life. You go to public school? I'm sure you have friends. You probably even have a girlfriend, maybe even more than one. Me, on the other hand… I don't even know what love is."

"Why not?" he asked.

I shook my head, holding on to him tightly so that he wouldn't let go. "Can we not talk about this?" I said slowly.

He nodded, holding my waist tighter as he leaned forward and rested his head on my shoulder. I could close my eyes for a while and pretend I didn't even have a past, or problems or anything to worry about. I didn't even want to think. I just wanted to stand here, in Jade's arms, and pretend I was nothing. It wasn't long before I realized my tears had stopped. I gently pulled away from him until my forearms were on his shoulders so I could gaze at him. His face was so close to mine. He was so… perfect. I immediately pushed the thought away and hurried away from him, running upstairs and to my bedroom. I closed the door and locked it, leaning against it. I waited there for a while until I was sure he wasn't following me. I took a few deep breaths until I was sure I was calm before I gathered some pajamas and went into the bathroom. I bathed and returned to my bedroom. I pulled my long hair up into a bun. It felt nice to take a regular shower in a regular house with regular people in it. Every boss or 'family' I've ever had always made me hurry in my showers. It was aggravating after a while.

I crawled into bed and it never felt so good to lie down before in my life. I closed my eyes and sleep enveloped me within the same second.

"Lucy, wake up."

His voice was soft and fed my hungry ears selfishly, leaving me wanting more. His hands warmly touched my shoulder shook me gently. I wanted to stay like this, in this half-asleep, half-awake state where he was near me.

"Luke," I murmured, "Five more minutes, okay, honey?"

"Who the hell is Luke?"

I opened my eyes at the sound of his voice changing. Jade stood above me, looking irritated. Once he saw that I was awake, he stood up straight and I shrunk back, pulling the blanket over my chest.

"What are you doing in here?" I said, sharply.

"Waking you up," he muttered, "Mom asked me to. I wasn't like I wanted to."

"Why so early?" I mumbled, sitting up.

He rolled his eyes. "School, maybe?" he said before walking out.

He must not be a morning person, I thought as I got to my feet. I washed up in the bathroom and returned to my bedroom. I combed my hair, sighing as I wished it was shorter. Long hair was too hard to deal with, especially with the thickness of mine. And with the way it was, the only styles that worked on it were down or up. I sighed as I fixed my swept across bangs before changing into jeans and a random t-shirt lazily without much care as to how I looked. I tried to put on makeup the way that Jade's mother did it for me yesterday, but it only looked half as good. I sighed, forgetting out it and descending the stairs. I could hear quiet mumbling in the kitchen and although I couldn't make out words, I knew they were talking about me. As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, their mumbling died. I sat down at the table, ignoring that. I nibbled on the breakfast that was already set for me.

"Your bag is by the door," Jade's mother told me, "It has everything you need in it."

"Thank you," I said quietly. Although I accused Jade of not being a morning person earlier, I wasn't much of one either. I wasn't a night person, either. If it was my choice, I could sleep through the night and day and just never wake up. But then wouldn't I just be dead? Or in a coma?

"You can walk with Jade," his mother said, interrupting my wandering thoughts, "You'll walk together half the way and then he'll tell you the rest of the way to go. Sound good?"

I nodded.

"I'm leaving now," Jade said, getting to his feet, "If you're walking with me then hurry up."

I nodded again and hurried to grab my bag and slip a pair of shoes on to my feet before I rushed out after him. I walked at his side.

"Who's Luke?" he asked me suddenly.

I gazed up at him, the memory of this morning slipping my mind. "Who told you about Luke?" I asked.

"You mentioned him this morning," he said, "Who is he?"

"It doesn't matter," I said with a wave of my hand.

He rolled his eyes, clearly on a short temper this morning. He stopped at a corner. "You walk that way," he said, pointing, "And then turn left. It's the big building with the words high school on it."

I nodded, walking in that direction, wondering why he was making a fuss over my younger brother.


	3. Chapter 3

I approached the school towering ahead of me slowly and it seemed to grow larger and larger with each step I took. I felt like I was suffocating by the time I reached the front steps. It seemed the second I stepped into the school I was bombarded by a blonde with followers. I thought those only existed in movies, but I apparently guessed incorrectly.

"You new here?" she said, a smile that was obviously fake on her face. I nodded. "Well then, I should probably tell you not to stand in my way." She pushed past me roughly and I cast her a glare that she didn't see before turning. There were so many people. I wasn't used to being surrounded by so many people. My breathing increased; I was feeling claustrophobic. I scaled the lockers nervously before hurrying into the nearest room. I closed the door and rested my forehead against it, panting. At least if Jade was with me, I wouldn't have to be alone.

"Did you need something?"

The voice that came from behind me made me jump and I spun around, my hands up to see a tall blonde. I thought he was cute but I didn't let the thought pass through my mind. He chuckled at my alertness.

"Sorry," I said, avoiding his gaze, "I didn't know there was anybody in here."

"Are you new here?" he asked, "I haven't seen you around." I nodded. "My name is Nathaniel," he greeted, "I'm the student body president. It's nice to meet you."

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, that's nice," I said quickly, opening the door, "Well, see you later, mister president." I closed the door and hurried away from it. I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't want him to know my name. I didn't mind shutting him down like that, either. I just didn't want to get my hopes up for anybody ever. I walked quickly with my gaze glued to my feet. I probably looked like the most anti-social person in the world. I didn't even pay attention to wear I was going until I bumped into someone, sending me falling to my bottom. "I'm sorry," I said sheepishly, sitting up. The girl I'd bumped into had also fallen on the floor but was in the process of getting up. She had orange hair with bright sky blue eyes. She rubbed the back of her head before smiling at me kindly and holding her hand out towards me. I took it and she helped me to my feet.

"Hi," the girl said, "Are you new here? I'm Iris."

I nodded. "I'm Lucy," I told her.

"Welcome to Sweet Amoris, then," Iris said, grinning.

"Thanks," I said, cracking a smile.

"Have you met anybody besides me yet?" she asked.

"I met the student body president and some blonde bimbo walking around like she owns the place," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh," she said, chuckling, "Nathaniel and Amber? I don't know if you knew this, but their siblings."

"They are?" I said, "I guess they look alike in a way, but he seemed nice and she seemed… not nice."

"Yeah," Iris said, shrugging, "I wouldn't say she's the nicest person around."

"I barely talked to her and I already agree with you," I said, rolling my eyes, "How sad is that?"

She chuckled again. "You seem cool," she said, "Do you want to sit with me at lunch?"

I nodded, smiling, "That sounds fun."

"Great," she said, "I eat in that classroom, right down the hall, since I don't like eating in the cafeteria."

"Okay," I said, nodding once. The bell rang just as she opened her mouth to respond.

"Well, I've gotta get to class," she said, waving, "See you later."

I nodded, searching for my first class.

It was time for lunch. I'd managed to survive my first few classes without speaking to anybody, although I was hoping that Iris would stay safe if I didn't get too close to her. Nobody would break into the school… right? The bell still had yet to ring, but it would probably take me a while to find the classroom anyways. And all of the other students were up and about in the classroom. The teacher wasn't even paying attention, since he'd finished the lesson for the day. I snuck out the door and spun around, running into someone at the first step.

"I keep doing this," I muttered to myself, although I hadn't fallen this time but my head had bumped his hard body. I rubbed my forehead.

"Watch where you're going," the guy snapped. I looked up, the glare on my face strong. It was some guy with a scowl that looked permanent and unnaturally red hair.

"So much for being a gentleman," I muttered, pushing past him. I could feel his glare on me for a few moments as I walked down the hallway. I searched for the classroom that Iris had told me about. As soon as I found it, the bell rang, echoing in the empty hall. Students began oozing into the hallways from their classes, their chattering filling it. I sighed, hurrying into the classroom to avoid the big crowds of people. It was empty in here, and it looked like the most ghetto classroom I've seen. The desks were old and written on, there was an old style chalkboard instead of a white board and the desks were scattered around. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Excuse me miss," a masculine voice with a hint if a Latino accent said, brushing past me. He had on a hoody with the hood over his head and sagging jeans but expensive looking sneakers. Behind him trailed a short kid with a bowl cut and huge classes and a tall, tan girl with long, silky black hair, dark eyes, and really tight, revealing clothing and stilettos. Iris stepped in from behind me, smiling at me.

"You came," she said, happily, "You can sit anywhere. They don't really use this classroom, so we eat in it." I sat in a spot on the side, taking my lunch out of my bag. "You guys, this is Lucy," Iris said, sitting beside me, "She's new here." She turned to me. "Lucy, this is Xavier, Veronica, and Ken."

"Lucy," Xavier, the guy with the hood, said, winking at me, "I like that name. It's almost as pretty as you are."

I blushed, looking away as Iris giggled. "He flirts with everybody," she said.

Ken, the boy with the classes, sat on the other side of me. "Have you met Amber yet?" he asked, grinning.

"Don't remind me," I muttered, taking tiny bites of my sandwich.

"Don't talk about her," Veronica said with a flip of her hair, "I'll get mad." She cracked her knuckles. "Oh, I wanna mess that pretty little face of hers up. Her brother deserves a beating too."

"What did Nathaniel do?" Iris said, laughing.

"Nothing," Veronica said, "He's actually pretty cute. I just hate that he's related to that witch."

"Do you guys know anyone from the other school?" I asked. I don't know why I asked that. I just felt compelled to.

"Yeah," Xavier said, "We don't party with lame people at this school. We party at their parties."

"You should come with us sometime," Iris said. She was a party girl? She didn't seem like one. "There are probably going to be illegal and bad stuff there, but you can just ignore it like me and have fun without it."

"Maybe I will," I said. I only wanted to not seem like a stick in the mud, but I would never go to a party like that. There were too many people and I'm not a people person. Why would I want to be in an already crowded place when I'm just a waste of space myself?

"It'll be fun," she said, smiling. I nodded, forcing a smile.

During my last class of the day, halfway through, I asked to go to the bathroom, took my things and left the school. I was so tired of being surrounded by so many strangers. I didn't want to leave school grounds completely, since there's a day curfew and I didn't get caught. So I wandered the courtyard until I saw a beautiful garden. I went inside and to my surprise, saw Jade. He was with a few other students and he turned when he heard someone coming in.

"Lucy," he said, a blush creeping on to his cheeks, "What are you doing here?"

I avoided his gaze. He looked awfully cute dressed like that. What? No he didn't. Silly thoughts of mine… "I'm skipping," I said honestly, "I had no idea what that teacher was talking about so I left."

"Go back to class," he demanded.

"What are [i]_you_[/i] doing here?" I said.

He looked away. "I help out with the gardening club," he said, "I get out a little early for it."

I smiled. "You can garden," I said, teasingly, "How cute."

His face grew even redder. "It's not cute," he muttered, "Go back to class."

I shook my head, walking around the plants to the back of the garden. I sat in the corner where nobody could see me and I took a notebook out of my bag. I wrote poetry and lyrics. This was one of my hobbies – songwriting. My dream was to be able to play guitar. That way I could give all my songs a beat and then sing to them. I lost track of time, just writing whatever rhymes that my heart agreed with. I only stopped when a gloved hand reached out to me. I lifted my gaze. It was Jade. I pushed his hand away, putting my notebook and pencil back in my bag before getting to my feet.

"What have you been doing for the past hour?" he said.

"Nothing," I said, shrugging.

He didn't push it any further. We walked side by side in the direction of home… Jade's home, I corrected myself. I didn't have a home. I never will.

"Why were you so worried about Luke this morning?" I asked him. That light blush returned to his cheeks.

"No reason," he said quickly.

"Oh?" I said, "Well, he's my little brother."

He looked a bit relieved somehow. I smiled to myself, looking away.

"I'm thinking about getting a haircut," I said, "My hair is getting a little too long to handle… your mom told me yesterday that she's good at cutting hair if I need it."

"You're talkative today," he said, "I like you better when your mouth is closed."

I glared at him. "All the more reason to keep talking," I muttered, "And anyways, I was trying to be nice to you for once."

"Yeah?" he said, "I gave up trying to be nice to you. You always push me away and I don't know why."

"Whatever," I muttered, "It's for the best if we hate each other." At least then I know he's safe.

The rest of the walk was silent. We arrived at his home and I reached for the door as he brushed past me.

"Where are you going?" I couldn't help but ask him. He stopped when his shoulder was just touching my spine.

"Nowhere important," he said, lifting his hand. His fingertips trailed up my spine until I trembled, lifting my hair delicately before he walked away, leaving the parts he touched to fall elegantly. "Don't cut your hair," he said quietly as he walked away, "I like it the way it is."

I clenched my jaw, going inside and slamming the door behind me. My first hit the wall just before my forehead. Why did he do things like that? Complimenting my hair, hugging me… not to mention the emotions that his fingertips touching me like that evoked inside of me; it seemed like he was forcing me to get close to him but then at the same time it seemed like he didn't even realize it. My teeth grinded against my lip. I needed to try harder to push him away then.


	4. Chapter 4

I sat in my bed, leaning against the window. I was trying to work the cell phone I'd found outside of Jade's bedroom but I couldn't seem to figure it out. I've never had any kind of cell phone or music device or anything like that. I didn't know it was so complicated. Once I finally got to the home screen, I noticed that there was a little red one above a symbol that looked like a mail envelope. I pressed it with my finger and another screen came up with options and then a bunch of rectangles with people's names on them. The top one was highlighted and the name was "Sara". Curiosity came over me as I pressed her name.

"Oh, she seems like an interesting girl. Maybe I could meet her one day," was what the message read. My brow went up. Who was Sara and why was she so concerned with the other girls that Jade talked to? I scrolled up. Who was he talking about anyway? Before I could read what they were talking about, my door opened. I lifted my gaze to see Jade, looking as irritated as ever. He approached me and snatched the cell phone from my hands.

"Who told you that you could look through my phone?" he snapped.

I shrugged. "I was bored," I said, "And anyways, it's not like I'm going around telling everyone your secrets anyway." I smirked. "And who's Sara? Your girlfriend?"

He grimaced. "Stay out of my business," he said, sternly.

My brow went up again as I watched him walk away. "By the way, Sara texted you," I said just before he slammed my door. I smiled, resting my head against the window. That had really irritated him. Honestly, I didn't know he'd be mad about it but I was glad he was. I didn't want to bring him closer to me. It hurt, though… knowing I couldn't make a friend out of him. It always did when it came to anybody. I closed my eyes, willing myself to forget about feelings. I didn't need them in my life. They only held me back.

A high-pitched noise coming from outside my window startled me out of my thoughts. It was soft, but certainly there. I listened closely. I heard it again. It wasn't just a noise; it was mewling. There was a cat? I parted the curtain to see a little kitten meowing and pawing at Jade's window next door. I opened my window and snapped my fingers at it, making kissing noises but it just gazed at me with big eyes. Just as I had begun to wonder how it had gotten on the ledge. I noticed the tree branch just a bit above the kitten's head. It must have been climbing the tree and then fell on the ledge. I sighed, closing the window and hurrying to Jade's room next door. I knocked once before pushing it open. He was in the process of sending a text message.

"What are you doing in here?" he said.

I ignored him, hurrying to the window. I opened it and drew the kitten in, cradling it in my hands. It was white with black spots; kind of like a cow. It was adorable, however, with it's bright blue eyes. One of them had a spot on it and the other didn't, which was even cuter. It purred at me in my arms as I used a free hand to stroke it's head.

"You like cats?" Jade asked me. I hadn't noticed he was standing behind me until he spoke. I nodded.

"I love them," I said, "Can I keep her?"

He shrugged. "Ask mom," he said, "I wouldn't know."

"She's so cute," I said, sitting down on Jade's bed. I gazed up at him, expecting him to go off on me but instead he sat beside me. I set the kitten down in my lap and she stretched, pawing at the necklace hanging from my neck playfully. I smiled as I scratched between her ears. The kitten purred loudly, closing her eyes and stretching her neck out.

"What are you going to name her?" Jade asked softly from beside me.

"I don't know," I said, "I just want to be sure I can keep her before I get too attached."

Jade breathed a chuckle. "My mom let you live with us," he said, "She loves anything cute and small; she'll probably let you keep her."

I smiled, stroking her thick soft fur. "I want to name her Coco," I said.

"Coco?" he said, "She's not even brown or anything."

"I know," I said, "But it sounds like a cow name and she looks like a tiny kitten cow."

He chuckled again, reaching over and stroking Coco softly. She purred and licked his fingers.

"You never told me," he said, breaking the silence, "What happened to your brother?"

My smile faded as the mention of Luke evoked so many negative feelings inside of me. I let Coco paw at my hand playfully as I swallowed hard. "Coco put me in a good mood," I said, "So… I think I can tell you." I could feel his eyes on me as I distracted myself by playing with Coco. "When I was seven," I said, "I met this little boy at a foster home. He wasn't my real brother but he was the only one I got along with. He was so bold, always standing up to the bigger kids. Our parents there weren't nice to us at all. The dad was a drunk and the mom was just flat out mean to us. I always wondered why they took us in to begin with if they didn't like us. Anyways, the boy's name was Luke. Even though he was two years younger than me, he always protected me." I paused, swallowing again so that I didn't cry as I stroked Coco a bit more. "One day, we decided to runaway together. We both hated that place. So we ran until we bumped into a few thugs. They let us live with them if, in turn, we worked for them. That's how Luke and I survived, going from thug to thug until I was fourteen. There was one thug in particular who was worse than the rest. He used to touch me… inappropriately. I blamed myself for it all the time even though Luke told me that it wasn't my fault. He used to hit us all the time – I had different bruises every week."

"Are you okay?" Jade asked, "You're really pale."

I nodded. "Sorry," I said quietly, "I've never told this story before and… it was only two years ago when it happened." I took a deep breath before continuing, "It took us a while to come up with a runaway plan because this guy had like his own personal gangsters that worked for him. They were always watching us, it was like we were in prison or something. That's what it felt like. One day we just decided run. We ran and ran, risking our lives. We stopped running when we figured they'd stopped chasing us. We were trying to hide in a public place so that they wouldn't try anything if they saw us. But they did, and they didn't care who saw. One of them pulled out a gun, aiming it right at me… It seemed like the same second he pulled the trigger, Luke jumped in front of me. He took the bullet for me." Tears welled in my eyes and I wiped them away quickly, keeping my gaze on Coco so that my hair hid my face from Jade. "He died instantly, since it got him right in the heart. Someone called the police, so the thugs ran and so did I. I didn't want to be questioned by the police. Ever since then, those guys have been chasing after me, killing all of the people I come to love, and making my life a living hell."

"I see," he said quietly, "That's why you were pushing me away."

"Don't let it get to your head," I muttered, wiping away the tears, "It's best if we hate each other."

"I'm sorry about what happened to you," he said, "But you don't have to push me away to protect me." I blinked away the blur of my tears as I gazed up at him beside me and he smiled. "I won't go down without a fight," he said.

I sighed, shaking my head as I cradled Coco in my arms. "No," I said sternly, "I won't let myself get close to you. We can be acquaintances."

"Isn't it a little late for that?" he said, "I mean we see each other everyday, and I'm pretty sure acquaintances don't tell each other their deepest secrets."

I rolled my eyes, getting to my feet. "Well maybe I don't want to be your friend," I snapped, approaching his door. He simply chuckled, already seeing through my act. I went to my room, cuddling with Coco. Why did I tell him all of that? I wasn't supposed to get close to him.

I leaned sat at the edge of one of the stairs leading to the front entrance to the school. I was exhausted. Jade's mother had willingly approved of keeping Coco. In fact, she'd gone out herself to buy all of the supplies Coco would need. But I couldn't sleep, even with a warm ball of Coco sleeping in the curve of my side. I just couldn't forgive myself for opening up so much to Jade.

"Hey, Lucy!" Iris said from beside me, sitting down, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said, "I'm just really tired."

She nudged me playfully. "You need to sleep more then," she teased, "So… are you dating Jade?"

"What?" I said, quickly, "No, never! What gave you that idea?"

She chuckled. "I saw you guys walking together," she said, "Are you guys related? Because I don't see how you could be repulsed by it. He's really cute and he's nice too."

"If you like him, you can go after him," I said, "We're not related, I just wouldn't go there."

"I don't like him like that," she said, smiling, "But if he asked me out, I would definitely say yes. So how do you know him?"

"Long story," I sighed. Thankfully, the bell rang before our conversation could go any further.

"Okay, I'll see you at lunch, right?" Iris said, getting to her feet.

I nodded, standing up as well. "See you then," I said. She skipped up the stairs ahead of me and met up with Veronica, walking away. I walked slowly towards my class, willing the day to end so that I could go home.

It was lunch again. I found the classroom easily this time and went in right behind Iris. I sat down beside her to find Xavier beat boxing. Veronica laughed and came up with a completely random rap to go with his beat boxing. It wasn't a very good rap, but I could tell that if she had lyrics in front of her, she could've done much better. Xavier went to the empty teacher's desk and took out a plastic microphone from one of the drawers and handed it to Veronica before continuing. Her messed up rapping had us all laughing. Xavier passed the microphone to Ken, who only blushed and stammered. He then passed it to Iris, who had reasonable lyrics but her rapping skills weren't very good. When he passed it to me, I just gazed at the fake microphone in my hand. I could come up with tons of lyrics, but I wasn't a rapper.

"Say something," Iris said, smiling as she nudged me.

"Can I sing?" I asked.

"If that's what you want," she said, shrugging.

I sang the first set of lyrics I thought of that went with Xavier's beat boxing. After about a minute of it, I returned the microphone to him, blushing.

"Wow," Iris said, "You're an amazing singer, Lucy."

I looked away. "I'm really not all that great," I said slowly.

"No, you are," Ken said from the other side of me.

"You could really make it big with that voice," Veronica complimented, "I mean, hey, YOLO, so why don't you try to get yourself noticed?"

"No, no," I said quickly, "I can't do that."

Xavier shrugged. "Your call," he said, "If I could sing like that, I'd already be going through your headphones."

"I just can't," I said, "I like to sing when I'm by myself but I could never sing in front of so many people."

They stopped trying to convince me after that. Although I didn't like to be the center of attention anyways, that wasn't why I was so against becoming a celebrity. It was because I was being chased after. Being on a television set wasn't the best form of incognito.

After lunch, I skipped all my classes and went back to the gardening club. This time it was empty; it was too early in the day for Jade to be here anyways. Something about being in here relaxed me. Maybe it was the scent of the flowers, or the fact that it was so pretty in here, or maybe because Jade comes here a lot, but either way, I liked being in there. I sat in the same corner and wrote and wrote, easily losing myself in the lyrics. I hummed along to them although it sounded sloppy since I wasn't trying to remember how the beats went but I didn't care. I was in my own world until Jade sat beside me, pulling me right out of it.

"What are you doing?" I snapped, hiding my notebook from him, "Don't you have flowers to tend to?"

"We're already done for the day," he said, smiling at me.

"I want to walk home by myself," I said, "Just leave me here and skedaddle."

He chuckled. "I can sit here with you and wait until you want to leave," he said, pulling off his gloves and setting them in his lap.

I folded my arms in my lap and gazed up at him, patiently. "I'm waiting," I said.

"For?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"For you to leave," I said, rolling my eyes.

He gazed around, feigningly pretending to search for someone around us. "I don't see anybody spying," he said, "I don't think I'm going to die today, Lucy."

I rolled my eyes, stuffing my notebook in my bag and got to my feet, this time actually irritated with him. I angrily stomped out of the garden and off of school property. He followed close behind me and took my arm when I wouldn't slow down. I snatched my arm away.

"Now it seems like you're actually mad at me," he said.

"Oh, you noticed?" I snapped as I turned to face him, "Of course I am! You're acting like this is all just a joke. Well, it's not! This is my life, welcome to it. I tried to push you away but you're just so persistent. You're going to end up just like Luke!" I knew my words were harsh but I'd grown so used to saying mean things to people that I didn't even care. I spun around and walked in the direction of home. He still followed me but more silently this time. The ten minute walk felt hours long until we finally reached his home. This time, he went inside and I went to the forest. I sat beside the stream and opened up my notebook and read through all of the lyrics I had written. Truthfully, they were great lyrics but they were so lovey-dovey. All of the newer ones were about the possibility of falling in love. It made me clench my jaw. This was what my heart told me? I laid back, gazing up at the sky filtering through the leaves above me. Who could I possibly be afraid of falling for? A single name popped into my head, but I pushed it away. It couldn't be him… no, I would never even develop feelings for Jade.

"Never," I whispered, holding my notebook to my chest. I closed my eyes, thinking of lyrics I suddenly felt too lazy to write down until sleep enveloped me, right there on the dirt floor.

When I awoke, I felt warm. I didn't even have to open my eyes to know that I was being carried. I opened my eyes slowly. I could see the sky. The sun was setting and half the sky was orange and the other half was lavender. The sky was beautiful. I lifted my head to see that Jade was the person carrying me. He was taking me inside and my bag was over his shoulder. He noticed my waking.

"I can't believe you fell asleep in the forest," he said teasingly.

"I was tired," I mumbled, "And I still am."

"Alright," he said, "I'm taking you to your room, okay?"

I nodded, leaning my head against his shoulder. I was half-asleep by the time we were back in my room as he set me on my bed. Almost immediately, Coco leaped up beside me and curled up.

"Wait," I said quietly when Jade began leaving, "Stay here."

He gazed at me in disbelief as I took his hand and pulled him beside me. I laid one arm over his body and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Stay here with me," I said softly, my eyes closed.

"Um," he stammered, "If… if you say so."


	5. Chapter 5

The second I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong. I was in a cuddling position with someone who had Coco curled up on his stomach. I sat up quickly.

"Jade?" I exclaimed. His eyes fluttered open.

"Oh, I'm still in here," he said, propping himself up on his elbows, which disturbed Coco's sleep enough for her to hop off of him and sleep at the other end of the bed.

"Why are you in here?" I said, "And why are you sleeping in my bed?"

"You told me to," he sighed, sitting up, "I brought you in here and you started pulling me towards you and you straddled me and fell asleep, so I couldn't move."

I cast an icy glare at him. "Whatever," I said, jumping to the floor, "Get out, I need to get ready for school." He sat up tiredly, his hair ruffled and his clothes messy. He walked out of my room and I closed the door behind him before pulling on some clothes without much care as to how I looked. I washed up and brushed my hair and did my makeup. Coco sat on my dresser, watching me the whole time and meowing softly every time I picked something up. Once I figured I looked okay, I kissed Coco's nose before hurrying downstairs. I had my breakfast just in time to leave with Jade afterwards. We walked in silence until we reached the crosswalk where we had to separate.

"You know where to go, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Don't skip your classes," he said, ruffling my hair before walking away. My glare followed him. What was I to him? I sighed, turning and walking in the direction of Sweet Amoris. Maybe I was just a pet to him. But that shouldn't matter, right? Wasn't I trying to keep him from thinking of me as more than an acquaintance? Maybe I was just overthinking things. At my pace, I arrived at school just as the late bell rang. I didn't really care, so I went to class anyways.

"You're late, Lucinda," Mister Faraize said to me as I walked in his class. I simply shrugged, sitting down in my seat lazily. "Do you have an excuse?" he asked me.

"I walk slow," I said, matter-of-factly. Chuckles spread around the class.

Mister Faraize wrote me a detention and handed it to me.

"Uh," I said, "I… can't serve this."

"Why?" he asked, crossing his arms, "Are you too lazy to walk to your detention?"

"No, no," I said with a wave of my hand, "It's just that… I'm supposed to meet someone after school to take me home."

"I'm sure you can find your way on your own," he said.

"No," I said, "I really can't."

He sighed. "Stop making up excuses, Lucinda," he muttered, "Just accept your punishment or you'll get more punishment."

I bit my lip, rolling up the detention slip and stuffing it in my pocket. I didn't say anymore. Maybe I could try to find my way on my own.

I sat by the window, holding my face in the palm of my hand as I gazed outside. It was raining, and hard at that. There was no doubt; Jade had to have left by now. I actually received homework today, so I took it out and did my best on it. I wasn't completely stupid; I actually got tutored sometimes. I could do most of the work but I left what I didn't know blank so that I could ask the teacher about it. By the time I finished, I still had half an hour left so I took out my notebook. Thunder rumbled outside. I found myself hoping that Jade had made it home safely. Even though I wasn't supposed to get close to him, that didn't mean I had to pretend I wasn't worried about him… right? I dissolved myself in my writing and the rest of the time seemed to fly by. The bell rang, signaling the end of detention.

As I put my notebook back in my bag, I tried to recall the places Jade and I passed on the way home yesterday and the streets we walked on. I nibbled on my lip, for some reason unable to remember. I walked slowly towards the front door to the school, the other detention kids walking ahead of me. I walked out after them into the pouring rain and nearly jumped with joy. Jade sat at the end of the railing, waiting.

"You waited for me?" I said, raising my voice against the rain, "Through my detention?"

He shrugged. "Why did you get detention?" he asked.

"I was late," I muttered.

"Let's go," he said as we began walking.

"Why did you wait for me?" I asked, "It's pouring; you could get sick."

He shrugged again. "You could've gotten lost," he said slowly. Gazing up at him, I could tell that it wasn't the real reason he waited. I shivered against the cold winds on my wet skin and clothes. "Are you cold?" Jade asked me. I nodded and he drew closer to me, unzipping the hoody he had on and pulled it over my shoulders so that we shared it. He was so close to me that I could feel his breath on my cheek. Despite the rain, we weren't walking any faster than we normally would.

My heart pounded in my chest. His arm was around my shoulders to hold his hoody and his hand was holding my shoulder gently. We probably looked like a couple. What if he already has a girlfriend? I couldn't stop the thought from slipping through my mind, but there it was. I felt a pang of some sort of emotion I couldn't label. It hurt though. I gazed up at him. He looked neutral, like he didn't mind walking so close to me. I sighed, inaudible in the pouring rain.

The next two weeks droned on. I think Jade and I drifted apart a little in that time. We hardly talked on our walks home and he was always out, so I was home alone most of the time. I spent most of my time playing with Coco or writing or doing homework. I often went out by the stream, too. That's where I was planning to go now. It was a weekend and I had a whole day to myself. I opened the door to see Jade hand-in-hand with a girl. It took me a minute to comprehend who she was due to my shock.

He smiled sheepishly. "Lucy," she said, smiling, "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Iris," I said blankly. Without another word, I brushed past them in the direction of the stream. Why did seeing them together hurt me so much? Maybe I was just a pet to him. I wasn't anything important; not to Jade, or anybody. If I simply faded away, nobody would even notice. Instead of sitting by the stream like I normally did, I followed it. I walked and walked until I could see an edge. I stood on it. It was a tall but thin waterfall. The bottom was foggy but still visible. One step and I could just fade away like I so wanted to. Jade probably wouldn't care, but what about his mother? She'd gone through so much trouble for me and spent so much money on me. All of that would go to waste if I jumped. Even though she didn't and could never love me like I was her actual child, I still didn't want her efforts to go to waste out of respect. I sat on the edge, my feet hanging off of it as I pulled out my notebook. The fact that the ground below my feet was dozens of feet below made me feel better for some reason.

As I was writing, I had difficulty being enveloped in my own world. Normally it came to me naturally, but today I was perfectly conscious of what I was writing. It was a little strange. Usually I had no idea what I was writing; I just wrote down whatever sounded write to me and it always just came together when I re-read it. I still lost track of time, however. Today all of my lyrics came out dark and depressing. I sighed, wondering why I was hurt so much in the first place. So Jade and Iris were dating. Why was that such a big deal to me?

I got to my feet, knowing I'd be back here eventually. It was only then did I notice that the sun was setting. I gazed up at the sky. It was that pretty lavender color again. I could see that some stars were beginning to appear already. If only I could be a star. Not the literal meaning of a star; I didn't want to be a sun that had already exploded. The children's meaning of a star. The thing that appears at night and sparkles in the sky and grants wishes; that's what I wanted to be.

I could vaguely hear the sound of someone calling my name. I held my notebook to my chest and walked in the opposite direction I did to come here. Eventually, I found myself in the same spot by the river I used to come to and I could see Jade approaching me.

"Lucy," he said, "Where were you all day?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter," I said, brushing past him towards the house. I walked at a normal pace, careful to keep an expressionless look on my face.

He touched my shoulder. "I was worried," he said.

I only chuckled. I knew he only said that to make me feel good, but it wasn't true. He was with his girlfriend, I probably hadn't even crossed his mind. I went inside without looking back at him and hurried towards the stairs.

"Wait," he said, taking my wrist, "Aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten anything today."

"No, no," I said, casually taking back my wrist, "I'm fine."

"You should eat something," he said.

"I'm fine, really," I said. He didn't object again as I went up to my room. I opened the door to find Coco sitting beside the door. The second she saw me, she purred loudly and rubbed her head on my ankles. I smiled, gathering her in my arms and closing the door. At least Coco enjoyed having me around. I put my notebook away and cuddled with Coco after changing into more comfortable clothing. We cuddled for about twenty minutes until there was a knock on my door.

"Lucy," Jade said, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess," I said. The door opened and he had a tray with a plate and a glass on it. He handed it to me, sitting on the edge of my bed and facing me. "Dinner in bed?" I said. Looking at the food in front of me, I suddenly realized how hungry I actually was.

He nodded. "I don't know what's wrong," he said, "But what I do know is that you need to eat."

"Is something wrong?" I said.

His eyes narrowed. "I can read you like a book," he said, "Besides, why else would you be avoiding food? Only people with eating disorders do that, unless you're just upset."

I sighed, taking a spoonful of food. It was delicious but I'd expect no less from Jade's mother. I couldn't help but wonder where his father went and why he would leave behind such an independent and amazing woman. Maybe she was the one who left. I didn't want to impose by asking, though.

"Nothing's wrong," I said bluntly.

"Sure," he said skeptically. I finished my food and Coco sniffed the tray in my lap curiously. Jade scooped her up in his arms, petting her affectionately and she licked his fingers.

"She's too trusting," I said quietly, moving the tray from my lap to the nightstand. He glanced at me but stayed silent for a few moments.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Why?" I muttered, "It's not like you would care anyways."

"You're so wrong," he sighed, shaking his head, "It really worries me when you're like this."

"I don't want you to say things you don't mean," I said, "You don't have to spare my feelings."

"I'm not," he said, "Really, I'm worried about you."

I sighed, letting my head fall back against the pillow. "Shut up," I muttered, "I hate when you say things like that."

"I just want to know what's wrong," he asked, "Maybe if I know I'll feel better. I want to help you if I can."

"Nothing is any different than before," I said.

"So then why are you upset?"

"I… I don't know," I said slowly, "But today, for some reason… I just kept thinking about how worthless I am."

"You're not worthless," he said without hesitation.

I looked away from him. "Now I know you're lying to me," I muttered, "Let's see, if I were never born, Luke would probably still be alive, I would never have troubled anybody else that took me in at the risk of their lives, your mom wouldn't be short three hundred dollars, and you'd probably be in your room right now, perfectly content with your life."

"I don't care what would be different," he said, "You can't change the fact that you were born. You were, and you mean something and not just to me; to my mom, to Coco, and to Iris too. She considers you a good friend."

I sighed. The mention of Iris made my heart ache for some reason. I gazed at Jade and my heart automatically pounding. What's this feeling? No… I couldn't possibly be developing feelings for Jade. I sat up and took Coco from his lap and held her up so that the tip of my nose touched her nose.

"I like Coco," I said, "I like your mom, too. She's a nice lady. Why is she single?"

After a short silence, I lowered Coco to my lap and gazed at Jade. He was gazing down at the bed, a sad look on his face.

"I told you about Luke," I said slowly, "Remember?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he said, "My dad was in the military." He shrugged. "He went on a dangerous mission and didn't come back."

I felt a pang of sympathy, looking at the look on his face. I drew closer to him and pulled him into and embrace, Coco jumping off of my lap.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

He breathed a chuckle, returning my hug. "Don't be sorry," he said, "At least I didn't have to watch it happen. Besides, I have a loving mother who's always been there for me, so I don't have it that bad."

I felt warm, here in his arms. It felt nice. I rested my head against his shoulder and he held me a bit tighter.

"I like hugs," I said quietly, "Can we just… stay like this for a while?"

He nodded and after a pause, he said, "Did you used to hug Luke?"

"Yes," I said, "But you're the only other person I've ever hugged. I've been deprived of hugs for the past two years."

"Oh," he said, "Well if you ever need a hug… just ask me."


	6. Chapter 6

Monday. How was I supposed to face Iris now? I nervously approached the school building clenching the strap of my bag over my shoulder. I was sure my face was pale as snow as I sat down on the steps, where I usually sat. As usual, I felt the presence of someone sitting beside me and I caught a glance of her bright hair.

"Hey, Lucy," she said cheerfully.

"H-hi, Iris," I stammered.

"Are you okay?" she chuckled.

I nodded. "Peachy," I simply said.

After a pause, she said, "Jade told me about how you're staying at his house. How come you didn't tell me?" She playfully elbowed me and added, "We could've hung out a lot more."

I sighed, thankful when the bell rang. I hurried to my first class without another word to Iris.

During lunch, I went outside instead of to the classroom. I wasn't completely sure why I didn't want to talk to Iris but I know I'd feel better if I sat outside instead. I went to the courtyard and ate on a bench instead. It was quiet, but I liked being outside and alone so it didn't matter. There were a few other loners eating out here as well. I didn't dare approach any of them; considering the looks on their faces, they probably enjoyed being alone as much as I did. I finished my food and took out my notebook. This time I had no trouble getting lost in the lyrics. I hummed along to them, not caring how much of an idiot I probably looked like.

When the bell rang, I went to my class and managed to survive the rest of the day without running into Iris. I waited outside for Jade, near the stairs. I zoned out, thinking of random lyrics I wished I could write down. I became so enveloped in my day dreams that I didn't even realize how much time had passed. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, returning me to reality, and I turned to see Mister Faraize.

"It's almost five," he said, "What are you still doing here?"

"It is?" I said, "Oh. I'm just leaving, I guess."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You're a strange girl, Lucinda," he muttered. I waved goodbye and walked in the direction of the sidewalk. Why didn't Jade show up? I nibbled on my lip. Did something happen to him? Was he hurt? I couldn't help myself. What if he was hurt on my account? I burst into a sprint, trying to remember the way home as I ran. It took me only minutes to arrive at home. I opened the door and peered around. It was quiet.

"Jade?" I called. There was no answer. Hurriedly, I checked every room in the house before rushing outside. I went out to the forest and there he was, sitting beside the stream with his arm around Iris. So this was where he was while I was waiting for him by the stairs. I sighed with relief but at the same time it felt like my chest only got tighter. My heart sank as I stood there. I turned and slowly began walking in the opposite direction.

"Lucy?"

I turned almost immediately at the sound of Jade's voice. His hand fell from Iris's shoulders as he got to his feet and approached me. Iris was turning towards us, curiously.

"I'm really sorry," he said, "I wanted to walk you home but Iris and I made plans last minute."

I shrugged although I couldn't push away the aching feeling in my chest. I felt sick to my stomach. "I found my way," I said.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

I nodded. "It's fine, really," I said, forcing a smile, "Go sit with your girlfriend." He looked worried and skeptical at the same time but hesitantly walked away anyways. He returned to Iris's side, glancing back at me once more. I turned and approached the house slowly, my head down. There was this feeling again. I wondered what they could be talking about. Then again, why should I care? Why was I still racking my brain with this? Once I was up in my bedroom, I changed and took a long bath. Coco was quick to comfort me, but I didn't feel any better. I plopped down on my bed, gazing up at the ceiling. I couldn't think. I couldn't even fall asleep when I tried. My mind kept going back to Jade. But why was this happening to me? He's just one boy.

There was a light knock on the door before Jade's voice said, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," I said and the door opened. Gazing at him, in my heart, I could tell that he wasn't just 'one boy'. But why him? After all the things I did to push him away, my heart did just the opposite. He sat down on my bed, gazing down at his hands.

"Did something happen to you?" he asked, "On your walk home, I mean. You've been acting… different."

"No," I said.

He glanced at me and his gaze was on me for a few moments but for those few moments I felt engulfed in those turquois orbs of his.

"Lucy," his voice was soft as he spoke to me, "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"What?" I said, "No, of course not. Why would I think that?" I suddenly regretted telling him that. My mind knew that I was supposed to be pushing him away; it was safer for him, but in my heart, I didn't want him to think like that.

He shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "Before when you used to push me away, I thought you were kind of a brat at first but it only took me a day to realize that you're not at all what I made you out to be. After learning about Luke, I liked that you pushed me away because it showed that you cared. But for a while now, you've been acting different. You're almost… nice to me. Does that mean that you don't care anymore or am I just overthinking things?"

"I do care," I said, "I want to be mean to you, but it's just… I can't anymore, I don't know why."

He smiled at me and I felt a blush crawl on to my cheeks. His smile was so cute.

"Okay," he said, "I'll take your word for it. I just wanted to make sure I didn't do something wrong."

I shook my head, wondering why he would be so worried about doing something wrong anyways. "You're fine," I said.

"Good," he said.

We fell silent for a few moments, but it didn't feel strange in the least to me. I just loved to be near him. There was no denying it anymore; I was developing feelings for him.

"Listen," he said slowly, "I was hoping you could give me advice… girl advice."

"Oh?" I said, "You already got the girl, what do you need me to tell you?"

"Don't tell Iris," he said, "But there's this other girl I know, and I really like her. I don't want to break up with Iris because I like her too and I'm not sure if the other girl likes me or not so I don't want to risk it. What should I do?"

I put a thoughtful look on my face but inside my heart was sinking all over again. There was another girl I had to watch him with? In any case, at least I could stay his friend; he wasn't coming home to Iris every day, was he? I couldn't fight off the smirk that grew on my face but I quickly turned it into a smile to hide it.

"First off, if there's a girl you like more than Iris then you should break up with her," I told him, "Regardless of being unsure of the other girl, I'm sure you wouldn't like Iris dating you on a whim while she's drooling over another guy, right? As for the other girl, just tell her how you feel. It's either she likes you or she doesn't and the worst thing she can do is say no. Are you friends with her?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding.

"Then at least you can stay friends if she doesn't return your feelings," I said.

He thought for a few moments before smiling again. "You're right," he said, "I think I'm gonna tell her."

I forced a smile and numbed all of the emotions running through me. "Good luck," I said.

His expression turned skeptical. "Why do you have that look on your face?"

"What look?" I said.

"You don't have to pretend to smile," he said, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head quickly. "It's nothing, I promise," I said.

His brow furrowed. "You sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "Positive," I answered.

He got to his feet. "Well I'm gonna go get ready for bed then," he said, "Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight," I said softly. He left the room without another word and I immediately let my head fall back against my pillow. What did he think of me? Was I just the girl that lived in the room next door? Coco leaped up on to the bed and climbed on to my chest, sniffing my face curiously and licking me at an attempt to comfort me. I smiled, taking her in my arms and curling up with her. "Oh Coco," I sighed, "If only I could be an adorable little kitten like you. My life would be so much easier."

She purred, wiggling out of my arms to rub her head against my hands and arms.

"Oh, I'm sure you have your complications," I said, "But you live in my bedroom. Life can't be that difficult, can it?"

She sniffed my nose and licked it and I grinned at her. She was just so cute. I closed my eyes, wondering what it would be like if Jade hugged me like a kitten and thought about how cute I am. It was a silly thought but I couldn't help but wonder. I wondered until I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I was reluctant to get up but I forced myself to. I threw on whatever I saw in my closet and brushed my hair. I didn't even bother to put makeup on. I kissed Coco before hurrying downstairs for breakfast. I ate while Jade surprisingly waited for me for once without pestering me to hurry up. I said goodbye to his mother before hurrying out the door behind him.

"We need to stop at Iris's house first," he said.

"Is she walking with us?" I asked.

"No," he said, "I don't think so."

I doubted that he was going to break up with her so soon so was he just doing this to get a quick kiss or something? But what would be the point in that if he planned to dump her? I walked close at his side and he didn't seem to mind.

"What are you going to do at Iris's house?" I asked curiously.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said.

"Well," I said slowly, "If you go inside for longer than ten minutes, I'm leaving."

He chuckled. "It's nothing like that," he said.

I followed him as he made a detour down what I guessed was Iris's street. When he turned down a driveway, I stayed behind so he could go take care of what he needed to take care of. He knocked on the door a few times and it didn't take long for it to open. Iris smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. They stood at the door and talked for a few moments. I couldn't hear what they were saying but it didn't take long until they started waving goodbye and Jade was approaching me, a smile on his face.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"We broke up," he answered.

"So why are you smiling?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Two reasons," he said, "One is that she was okay with it and two is that I can finally go after the girl I want."

"Oh," I said. The rest of the walk to the halfway point was silent. We said goodbye at the crosswalk and I hurried to school to avoid being late. I arrived just in time for the class bell to ring and made it to my seat before the late bell.


	7. Chapter 7

It was after school and what an awful day it was. Mister Faraize wouldn't help me with the things I didn't know during class, so I had to miss lunch to go see him about it. I was starved and I had double as much homework now. I stood outside and it didn't take long until Jade arrived. He looked nervous.

"Did you confess to that girl?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I'm going to, though," he said, "How was your day?"

I shrugged. "I wanna say it was bad, but it could've been worse," I told him, "I missed lunch."

He smiled. "Aw," he said, "Do you need a hug?"

I nodded and he pulled me into a nice, firm hug that instantly comforted me. I felt pressure on my back pocket and pulled away from him, holding up a finger.

"Whoa there, pervert," I said, "You don't touch me there."

He blushed furiously, looking away. "It was an accident," he said.

"Sure," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"I have some money," he said, "Let me take you out to eat."

I nodded, hungrily. He held out his elbow for me to take and we began walking. We walked slower than usual. There were hardly any cars on the street, so I was quick to notice the little black one with the tinted windows, driving slowly behind us. I instantly began trembling, quickening my pace. With my arm in his, Jade was forced to match me. He didn't question me though. I could hear the car beside us approach us slowly. Fear took over me and I wanted to break into a run but the thought of it made me even more afraid. I squeezed Jade's arm hard and he didn't even glance at me. I felt as if I was trapped in some kind of horrible nightmare. The tinted window to the car opened slowly and the man sitting in the driver's seat smirked that familiar smirk. As if I could ever forget the man who forcefully took my innocence only at the age of fourteen and murdered my younger brother. He was as heartless as they get. The barrel of his gun aimed at me and I froze to my spot, Jade stopping beside me. The car came to a stop as well.

"Get in the car," he said, his voice as deep and husky as usual, "Or I'll kill that little friend of yours."

All that played back in my head was the thought of Luke, jumping in front of me and the deafening sound of the gun's trigger being pulled; Luke falling to the floor and that deep red color forever staining my thoughts and that glazed look in his big brown eyes. I remembered how matted his jet black hair was from sweat and his shirt was damp with it as well. I remembered being pinned down to my bed and my clothes stripped from my body. He beat me bruised and did his business with me and left me lying there, a trembling mess. This man only lived in the nightmares of most people. I took a step towards the car and Jade immediately jerked me back, tackling me to the cement just seconds before the sound of the gun being shot echoed. The car drove away full speed and I knew that the police would be called soon. My cheek was pressed against the cement, Jade still protectively holding me although the car wasn't visible for us anymore. He was trembling. I sat up slowly.

"Jade?" I murmured. When I saw him, my vision blurred. It was like that same nightmare that lived in my head from two years ago. Through the blur, I could've sworn that he was Luke, lying there. But he wasn't dead.

"I'm okay, Lucy," he said although that deep red color was tainting me all over again and my heart was beating at an unhealthy fast speed. He touched my hand but his fingertips were cold. "Call an ambulance," he requested of me quietly. I nodded slowly, my hands trembling so much that it was difficult to take his phone out of his pocket. The blood was easily coming out of the hole in his chest and staining his shirt. I dialed nine-one-one and shakily told them what I'd just witnessed. It wasn't long before they were taking Jade away from me on a stretcher into an ambulance. I had the option to go along to be with him but I didn't. I stayed behind, gazing at the blood stained sidewalk. Why did things have to be like this? My heart was still beating so quickly that I was numb. I knew that, watching as Jade's mother arrived, rushing over to the ambulance and climbing inside, tears staining her cheeks, that I couldn't go back to the life I'd only lived in for a few weeks. I ran as quickly as I could towards Jade's house and into the forest in the backyard. I followed the stream, dragging my feet towards the edge. I stopped, my toes just over it.

"Jade," I murmured. It was only then did I realize from my shaky voice that I'd been crying. "Jade," I murmured again, "I hope you live a long and healthy life, because I know that if I no longer exist, you have the ability to do that." I put my hands in my back pockets, closing my eyes and feeling tears drip from my chin. I felt something in there and pulled it out. It was a folded up sheet of paper. I couldn't recall putting it there so I unfolded it to read it. It was in black marker and it read, "Lucy, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend? – Jade". My lower lip trembled as I fell back into a sitting position, reading the note over and over again. "No," I said shaking my head, "No, I can't, I can't! I don't want you to get hurt, but…" I hugged the note to my chest. "It hasn't been long, but wearing my heart on my sleeve," I said softly, "I think… I think I'm falling." Convulsing, I sobbed hysterically, pondering whether to jump or not. Why was this such a difficult decision for me? Jade was in the hospital because of me. Luke was dead on my account. The bullet that hit Jade was only off by inches; he could've died too. Jade's mother was in tears because of me. Me. Why was I even born? Not even my own family wanted me. My parents died and my aunts and uncles hated me for no reason. Even my foster parents hated me. Luke, Jade, and his mother were the only people to show me any sort of sympathy.

I closed my eyes, my legs hanging off of the cliff and I let my head fall back against the floor. I let my mind go blank at an attempt to calm myself but instead, I was embraced by sleep.

"Lucy, honey," Jade's mother's soft voice reached me. My eyes fluttered open and I squinted against the bright sunlight. She was crouched above me, her eyes red and puffy. She wasn't crying now but it was clear that she did a lot of it overnight. I was racked with guilt all over again.

"I can't go back," I said quietly, "It's all my fault."

"Don't talk like that," she said, "I don't understand what happened exactly, but as long as you weren't the one pointing the gun at him, then you're always welcome to our home."

"No," I said, shaking my head, "I might as well have been pointing the gun at him. That guy was after me. If I would have gone in the car as soon as he asked, this would have never happened."

"What?" she said, "He wanted you in his car?"

I sighed. "Jade didn't tell you anything?" She shook her head. "Well I used to live with that guy and he's been chasing after me ever since. He's completely heartless. I'm almost positive that if we never moved, he'd have killed Jade without a second thought."

"Honey, none of this is your fault," she said, "You didn't ask for this. Now come on, let's go back to the house and you can take a bath and change out of those clothes." She had a strange look on her face, studying my attire. I gazed down at myself and nearly gagged. I was covered in Jade's blood. I trembled as I sat up. She helped me to my feet. "Take a bath, get changed, take your time. When you're done, we can both go to the hospital to see him."

I nodded, feeling numb. I shakily walked behind her, the note still in my hand. We slowly returned to the house and went inside. I did as she said; bathing and changing. When I returned to my room, I brushed my hair slowly, Coco sitting on my dresser, watching me. As if noticing that I wasn't feeling well, she meowed at me, pawing at my hand with her claws sheathed when I set my brush down on the dresser. I pet her gently and she licked my hand comfortingly. I gathered her in my arms and held her tightly.

"I'm going to miss you, Coco," I murmured. She purred loudly, licking my chin. I set her down on the dresser again and got to my feet. She followed me to the door but went no further although I left it open. I crept downstairs and found Jade's mother sitting in the kitchen. She looked in a daze, gazing out of the window beside her. I passed the kitchen and approached the front door. I opened it, staying as silent as possible before closing it behind me. And I ran. It was so hot that sweat beaded my forehead almost immediately. I didn't care though; I just continued running until my surroundings changed and my lungs burned.

•••

Jade's mother studied the sky and the trees and the grass and everything in an attempt to distract herself but her mind kept going back to Jade. Naturally, he was probably only trying to protect Lucy; she'd raised him to be that chivalrous kind of guy. She honestly believed that it wasn't Lucy's fault in the slightest. She had a hard life; there was no blame there.

She took a deep breath when the sudden meow behind her startled her. She turned to see Coco sitting in the doorway, licking her paw delicately.

"Coco?" she said, approaching her and gathering her gently in her arms, "Does that mean that Lucy's ready?" She ascended the stairs and found Lucy's door left open. She gazed around inside. It was vacant. Narrowing her eyes, she checked the bathroom and Jade's bedroom but there wasn't a trace of her. She returned Coco to Lucy's bedroom before hurrying downstairs and outside. "Lucy?" she called, "You better come out from where you're hiding! Jade will be mad if I lose you!" When she heard no response, she hastily approached the forest, gazing around and calling Lucy's name. She panicked when Lucy was nowhere in sight before rushing to her car. She started it and drove around the city in search of the girl. When she found herself pulling into the hospital's parking lot she gave an exasperated sigh. "Where could she have gone?" she mumbled to herself, climbing out of the car. She found her way back to Jade's room and he looked hopeful when the door opened but disappointed when his mother came in alone.

"Where's Lucy?" he asked.

She pursed her lips, swallowing before saying, "I couldn't find her," she admitted, "I checked everywhere, I even drove around the city and she was nowhere in sight."

His disappointment increased and his gaze dropped to his lap. "So she left?" he said.

"Before she left, she kept saying that this was her fault," she said.

He sighed, shaking his head. "It wasn't in the least her fault," he said.

"I know," she said, "She told me everything. I'm worried about her though. Where do you think she could've gone?"

He leaned back against his pillow, gazing up at the ceiling. "Just ran," he said, "She just ran."

His mother gazed at him curiously but he looked so lost in thought as if he was pondering where she could've run off to himself.

•••

"Jade," I murmured. I honestly had no idea to my whereabouts. I only knew that I was sitting in a meadow somewhere in the outskirts of town. I laid back, gazing up at the sky. The blades of grass were soft on my skin in my little white dress. I rubbed my eyes. I could fall asleep again right here.

I knew that with each passing second, I was falling harder and harder for Jade. I knew it, I just didn't want to believe it. I repressed the thought constantly, in fear that I would run back to him. I couldn't do that to him; he could die if I did that. I decided to think about Coco instead. I wondered what she was doing, and if she thought of me. She was probably sitting at my windowsill, gazing out at the birds like she normally did.

I rolled over to my side, releasing a deep sigh. "Jade," I murmured, closing my eyes, "I miss you so much."


	8. Chapter 8

Two months passed. I still had no idea where Lucy was and there wasn't even a trace of her. I missed her though. She was only in my dreams every night. Sometimes I knocked on her door, forgetting that nobody is in there. This whole thing was driving me crazy. The wound in my chest healed, although I'd have that scar for the rest of my life. I was normally a very social person but I couldn't even hang out with my friends anymore. I only wanted to sit at home and play with Coco. I ate less. It was even physically taking a toll on me. My skin was paler, I broke out more often, my hair was thinner from falling out. I missed her. I needed her.

"Jade," my mother said, pulling me out of my Lucy daydreams, which I constantly had, "Look I know you miss her, but I'm really worried about you. Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to find you a therapist?"

So now I needed therapy to help me cope with losing a girl I've known for two weeks. "No," I said quickly, "I'm fine, mom."

"Well you look like you've been traumatized," she said.

"I'm in love with a girl who might not even be alive right now," I said, "How do you expect me to feel?" I didn't usually snap at my mom but it's been happening a lot since Lucy left.

She sighed, slipping out of her chair and going to her room. Did I just mess up? Maybe. But my mind simply wandered back to Lucy again. I sighed, going up to my room. Coco was wandering around in the hallway outside of it and she followed my feet inside. I laid down and was easily asleep after a few moments.

It was morning. I was late to school by about half an hour. I threw on some clothes and refilled Coco's food bowl before rushing out the door without breakfast. I jogged to school, the chilled wind keeping me from overheating. I was nearly there. I glanced back when I heard a footstep but it was just a man walking his dog. Before I could turn back, I collided roughly with someone, sending me falling back. Rubbing the back of my head, I sat up. It was a girl.

"I'm sorry," I said, getting to my feet. I extended my hand out to her as she sat up as well. Her pretty hair fell away from her face and I froze. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. "Lu—" I said slowly, "—cy?" She panted, gazing at my feet but staying on the ground. I knelt down beside her and forcefully folded her into my arms, giving her a gentle squeeze as I buried my face in her sweet smelling hair. She avoided returning my hug but didn't struggle. "Do you know how much I've missed you?" I said, softly.

She released a shaky breath. "I have somewhere I need to be," she told me. Her voice shook and was nearly a whisper. She pushed away from me and got to her feet, beginning to run. I chased close behind her, taking her wrist and squeezing it, pulling her back. "Stop it, Jade," she snapped, "If you don't let me go, then he… he…"

"What?" I said, puzzled, "Who?"

"You'll be killed," she said, "Let me go!"

"I don't care anymore," I said, pulling her closer to me. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were an icy color in this light. Her lips looked even rosier from the last time I saw her. I wanted to kiss them. "Whoever he is, he can go ahead and kill me," I said, "I just want to be with you, Lucy."

She shook her head. "I… I can't," she said.

I touched her chin with my index finger, lifting it slightly and using my thumb to trace her lips. Her gaze softened and she suddenly looked like she was melting.

"I wish I could be with you for the rest of my life," she murmured, closing her eyes, "I wish we could be together forever."

I used my free hand to clench hers tightly. That guy… he was trying to scare us away from each other. Was it the same guy as before? I moved my hand from her face and brushed her hair over her shoulder. There was a bruise. It was definitely the same guy. My heart clenched; I didn't want her to be hurt. Why would she go back to him?

"I wish he would die," I said, my voice shaky, "What the hell does he want with you?"

"Whatever the reason, it's over now," she said, "We can't be together now. If he sees us here, he will kill you this time."

"Let's go to my house," I said, tugging at her hand, "We can hide there."

"No," she said, "He knows where you live. If I'm out late, he'll know I'm with you."

"But Lucy," I murmured, resting my forehead against hers, "I love you."

"I love you too," she stammered, "That's exactly why I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Isn't this kidnapping?" I said softly, "You're staying with him by force."

"No," she said, "I don't want to call the police or anything because they might send me to a foster home because I'm still under eighteen."

"Well something has to be done," I said.

"When you think of something, let me know," she sighed.

I touched her waist with my fingertips, leaning forward and pressing my lips to hers. She kissed me back and it was so gentle yet so inviting that I could feel my heart racing in my chest. It was a long kiss but she pulled away before I was satisfied.

"I should go," she said.

"Wait," I said, "Where does he live? Where are you staying? I want to see you again."

"I can't tell you that," she said, "And I'm sorry but it's best that we don't see each other again."

"Lucy," I pleaded but she was already running off. I gazed down at myself. I was trembling. Since when did I let a girl affect me this much? I gazed up at the school beside me. I didn't want to go there. I walked in the opposite direction. I didn't want to see anybody. I just wanted to go home. I walked slowly, dragging my feet on the concrete. What was the point of anything? I was in love with this girl and I couldn't even be with her. I clenched a handful of my shirt over my chest. My heart ached so much that it felt like I was dying. I slowed down just outside of the police station and looked up. Even if Lucy was in a foster home, I just couldn't bear the thought of someone hurting her. I approached the entrance and went inside. The waiting room was empty so I went straight to the front desk.

"I need help with something," I said. The man at the counter raised a brow.

"What do you need help with?" he asked.

"My girlfriend was kidnapped," I said.

"Kidnapped?" he said, "Are you sure? This is a serious accusation."

"I'm positive," I said, "She's younger than eighteen and he's forcing her to stay with him. He rapes her and beats her and forces her to do things she doesn't want to do."

He took out a notepad and scribbled everything down. "What's your girlfriend's name?" he asked.

"Lucinda Peterson," I told him, "And I don't know the kidnappers name but I do know what he looks like."

"How did you get all of this information?" he asked.

"She told me," I said, "She ran away from him and was staying with me and my mom for a while. She told me all about him and then I saw him."

The police officer questioned me for a while before telling me he'd submit it to one the detectives to see if they could start an investigation. I just had to sit and wait at home. I went home after that and my mom was already gone so she didn't know that I skipped school. I found myself unable to do anything but think about Lucy.

•••

I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a few deep breaths. I hated being at this place but I was only doing it for Jade. I needed to protect him from this monster. I approached my bedroom door slowly, cracking it open. I knew I would be hit and he'd probably make me do something inappropriate for him. It was all for no reason. I was punished whenever something completely out of my control happens. Like when his favorite sports team loses a game, he'll take it out on me. When he runs out of his favorite food, he takes it out on me. I'm like his punching bag. I leaned forward, preparing to step out when I heard his voice. He must be talking to one of his 'minions'.

"Yeah, I agree," he muttered, "She's a stupid handful but she's so worth it when I get her in my bed."

"What if she gets pregnant?" one of his airheaded 'minions' said.

"Pregnant?" he spat, "Then I throw her out. The only use she is to me is to make me sandwiches and satisfy me."

Pregnant? I bit my lip. It was a long shot but I may have found a loophole. I opened the door slowly and stepped out. He smirked at me and I knew he was planning to do something I wouldn't like. He tossed two wads of lace and a pair of heels at me.

"Put that on," he said, "Then come back."

I nodded quickly, hurrying back to my bedroom. Could I fake pregnancy? What was pregnancy even like? I recalled learning something about pregnancy in health class at Sweet Amoris. There was throwing up and mood swings… I didn't learn much else though. I nodded to myself as I traded my clothes for the very revealing lingerie. I could maybe pull that off. Once I was dressed, I practiced not stumbling in these stilettos because I knew I'd be hit if I tripped. I stepped out and approached him. He tapped his lap and I sat down, feeling a lump in my throat.

He caressed my legs and I had to force myself not to cry. "You stupid little wench," he spat, "I'm making you mine tonight."

I gazed down at my hands. "Yes sir," I said softly.

He pushed me off of him roughly and I stumbled a bit. "Go back to your room," he said.

"Sir," I said quietly, "Can I take a walk?"

"You took one yesterday," he muttered, "Isn't that enough?"

"I'm sorry," I said, "It's hot inside and I like the wind."

He sneered at me but nodded once and I hurried to go change. I pulled on a regular pair of jeans and a t-shirt, slipping my feet into sneakers before rushing out the door. I jogged across the city to Jade's house. It was late enough for him to be home from school but it was too early for his mother to be home. Perfect timing. I picked a rock off of the ground. It was light but heavy enough to make noise. I tossed it up and down in my hand before chucking it at Jade's window. The curtain moved before Jade peered out. He grinned at me and held up a finger to tell me to wait. It wasn't long before he was jogging out towards me barefoot. He lifted me into his arms and swung me around in a circle before kissing me passionately. I returned his kiss and he his arms were firm around my waist.

"What are you doing here?" he said once our lips parted, "You said you weren't going to meet up with me again."

"I know what I said," I said with a wave of my hand, "But listen, Jade, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" he said, his eyes bright, "I'll do anything for you!"

"Great," I said, "I need you to get me pregnant."

He stiffened, his smile straining as he took a step away from me. "Pregnant?" he said, "Where the hell is that coming from?"

My heart sank. Now even Jade was giving up on me? "My boss," I said, "said that he'd throw me out if I got pregnant. It's my only way out, Jade."

"Throw you out?" he said slowly, "Look I want to help you but I don't think I'm ready for all of that yet. There's a better way. I told the police."

"You what?" I exclaimed before roughly grabbing his shirt collar, "I told you not to! Now we're both going to die!"

"No we won't," he said, taking my wrists, "We'll be fine! They're investigating. They're not going to give our names out so willingly."

"He has his ways," I snapped, "Just you wait and see! When we're both lying on our death beds, you're going to regret it."

He put a finger gently to my lips. "You're overreacting," he said, "They already have a lead. Just sit back and watch."


	9. Chapter 9

I stood in my room, peeking out the door every few moments. What would happen now? Did I just have to endure this while the police investigated? Their lead was probably wrong anyways. This monster of a man has outwitted the police plenty of times before. He didn't even get caught for murdering Luke. If he found out that the police were investigating him, he would kill me first and then go after Jade. I nibbled on my lip as I gazed at him. He never 'made me his' because he'd gotten too drunk while I was gone and passed out on the couch before I came back. I closed the door completely, running my fingers through my hair as I took a deep sigh. What Jade did by telling the police was basically a shot in the dark. The only way they would caught him for sure is if I went to talk to them and they put me in witness protection program, but then there's a chance he would kill Jade because I didn't come back. I sighed again, leaning against the wall. Why did Jade's life have to be on the line too? I knew the reason, I just wished that he didn't even know about Jade. But he knew full well how in love with him I was so he was using that to his advantage.

I plopped down on my bed. All I could do now was wait, then. The worst part is that I wasn't sure if I was waiting for my death or my life being saved. I loved Jade; these were all new feelings to me but I knew one thing for sure; I didn't want to let him go. I wanted to sneak out while he was passed out but if he awoke while I was gone, I'd be in huge trouble. I laid down, gazing up at the ceiling. Pregnancy would be a quick and easy way out of it but Jade was too afraid. I rolled my eyes. I loved him but he could be such a wussy. I closed my eyes. What would Jade's and my baby look like? I bet he or she would be beautiful, I thought as I imagined a beautiful baby with Jade's eyes and face and hair and everything… Okay so if it looked like me, I knew it wouldn't be cute. The only way for it to be cute is if it looked like Jade.

Before I could insult myself any further, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

I sat up the next morning. It was quiet. Well, quiet until I heard my boss's little servants panicking about something that was probably stupid. I got to my feet and approached the door, pressing my ear against it.

"What should we do, man?" one of them said with a desperate, panicky tone to his voice, "Should we call the police?"

"Of course not," the other one said, "We have a kidnapped girl here; we'll get arrested."

"But he's dead!" the first one said, "He's not breathing, he has no pulse. We can't just leave his dead body here, that'll make them suspect us!"

"Okay, calm down," the other one said, "We'll let the girl go and then we'll call."

"But what if she tells the cops that she was kidnapped?" the first one said.

"We'll make sure she doesn't," the other one said. It fell silent and my heart raced with the anxiety to leave. I felt guilty that he was dead; like somehow it was my fault but I just wanted to go see Jade. Finally I could be free. My door opened and I nearly fell forward. The one who opened it pulled me out of the room by my hair. He forced me to bend forward so that my face was within breathing distance of my late boss. He pressed his junk against me and leaned forward, his lips brushing my ear. "Do you want to get raped?" he said.

I shook my head rapidly. "No, please," I pleaded.

"Good," he said, "Then you don't tell anybody about us. Got it?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir," I said.

"Are you sure?" he said, pressing harder against me, "If you're not sure, we'll take turns on you."

I nodded. "I'm absolutely positive," I said. He hesitated a few moments before releasing me. I sprinted to the door without another word and ran all the way to Jade's house. I knocked on the door this time and his mother opened it. Her eyes brightened like the sun and she pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Oh, my darling," she said softly, "I've missed you so much!"

"I missed you too," I responded. She kissed my forehead.

"Can you stay for dinner?" she asked, holding my shoulders and grinning at me.

"I can stay as long as you want me to," I said, smiling, "I'm free now."

She beamed at me and hugged me again. "Go surprise Jade," she said, "You being gone has really affected him, you know. There was a period of time where he wouldn't even eat properly."

I pouted. "I feel guilty," I said, "But I only did it to protect him."

"I know, honey," she said, kissing my forehead again, "Go see him."

I nodded, brushing past him and hurrying upstairs. I knocked lightly on his bedroom door. "Mom, I'm busy," he said, "I have a lot of homework. I don't have time to talk."

I giggled. "Okay," I said, "I guess I'll just leave then." I heard quick footsteps and the door opened and I was pulled into his room. His arms were firm around my waist as his lips ravished my neck.

"I'll never get tired of seeing you," he murmured, "Did you get some free time again?"

"No," I said, "My boss… well, he kind of died."

"Kind of?" Jade said, standing up straight so that he was facing me, "He died? How?"

"He drank way too much," I said, shrugging, "He got alcohol poisoning, I'm guessing and I woke up and he was dead."

His lips tenderly met mine and I felt him smile. "I'm glad," he said quietly, "I know it sounds heartless, but I _hated_ him. I've never wished death upon a person before in my life, but just thinking about all the things he's done to you makes me sick."

I slid my hands behind his back and up to his shoulders, kissing him hard. "I wish you didn't worry about me," I said softly, "I love you and I don't want my problems to be on your shoulders. Let me carry all of my problems on my own."

He kissed me again. "Why should I do that?" he said, breathing a chuckle, "I want you to have as little to worry about as possible."

"You know," I said quietly, "Something was stolen from me after I met you, but then recently I've gained something too."

"Stolen?" he said, "What was?"

"My heart was stolen," I said, grinning, "And I've gained the most amazing boyfriend ever."

He kissed my forehead tenderly. "You're so cute," he said, his lips brushing against my forehead.

~•••~

"Jade, Jade, Jade, Jade, Jade, Jade!" I said, shaking Jade's hand in mine. He looked annoyed, but the only reason I was pestering him was because he was being irritable all day. I continued saying his name over and over again, feeling like a child again while bouncing on my toes beside him as he pushed along our grocery cart.

"What?" Jade finally said, rubbing his forehead.

"What's wrong?" I asked, furrowing my brow. He studied my expression before forcing a sheepish smile.

"I slept late," he said.

"Why did you do that?" I said, "You know I don't let you sleep in, Jade! I need to spend some time with you before you go to work."

"I know," he said, "But I was watching this show I like."

I crossed my arms. "Well, you could've recorded it," I said, "Next time, do that instead or wait until your day off."

"Yeah," he said, "But it was a show about this couple, and they had just recently had a baby." This time his smile was sincere. "It made me a little excited." He touched the side of my overgrown belly, grinning. "I can never sleep when I'm too busy thinking about our baby Lily."

It's been a gap of a little over four years since Jade and I first became a couple. We were both now twenty-years-old. Jade was juggling school and work. He had a decent job working at the shop his mother owned, but was planning to aim higher when he finished college. I had to drop out of college after getting my bachelor's degree because I was pregnant. When we found out it was a girl, we decided to name her Lily because I told Jade I was first pregnant while he was out in our garden, tending to the lilies. We weren't married yet and didn't plan on it until Jade finished college and found a good job. Everything was perfect.

I rubbed my stomach gently when I felt a kick and I smiled. "I bet she'll be beautiful," I said softly.

"Of course she will be," he said, "Have you seen her mother?" I blushed and he took my hand, leading me towards the aisle with the dairy products in it. I was halfway through my sixth month of pregnancy and, let me tell you, being pregnant was not fun. Of course, waiting for the baby was fun and I was sure it would be worth it when Lily was born but I hated the back aches, the swollen feet, and the headaches. Everything on my body became bigger. Even my fingers were fat. I had to buy bigger sized shoes and clothes just for the pregnancy. I didn't regret getting pregnant though; it only brought Jade and I closer together and I knew that having a darling baby girl around wouldn't bring my mood down, no matter how much she cried. I loved this child already and so did Jade. Not only that, Jade and I were inseparable. Nothing could go wrong… right?

We got all the groceries we needed and more diapers for the baby before paying and going to the car. I helped Jade put the groceries in the trunk of his car before climbing in the passenger's seat.

"I like the way the trees are coming in this summer," I said, admiring the full tree in front of our car as he started the engine.

"I know," Jade said, "And the flowers are almost as pretty as your hair."

I grinned. "My hair's only like this because of the pregnancy," I said, "And so are my fingernails. It's a shame I'll be back to chipping nails and flat hair again in three months."

"Really?" he said, "I didn't even realize your hair or nails changed. They look the same to me; but then again I always think every part of you is pretty." I blushed again, weaving my fingers through his and he began driving. He's been constantly complimenting me like this since soon after we started dating when he realized how low my self-esteem really was. By now, I was perfectly confident with myself but he still did it to make sure I stayed confident. We unpacked the groceries into our apartment, greeting a purring Coco. The phone rang as Jade was putting away the last of the groceries so I hurried to answer it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, honey," Jade's mother's voice sounded through the speaker, sounding a bit strained, "Is Jade around?"

"Jade?" I said, "Yeah, sure, did you want to talk to him?"

"No," she said, "I want you to tell him something for me."

"Me?" I said, "Okay, sure."

"I had a stroke," she said, "I'm currently in the hospital. I don't want either of you to worry about me though, okay?"

"Oh, my gosh," I said, putting my hand over my mouth, "That's terrible!"

"Maybe," she said, "I'm okay now, but they're not sure if I'll have another. What they do know is that if I do have another, I'll die."

"Oh, my gosh!" I exclaimed, "We'll be right over." Jade was right behind me now, gazing at me curiously.

"Good," she said, "I'd love to see you both. Well, I should be saying you _three_ now, shouldn't I?" She chuckled on the other line.

"We'll be right there, mom," I reassured, "Don't worry."

"Okay," she said, "I'll see you then."

"See you," I said. I hung up the phone and gazed up at Jade with an urgent look on my face.

"What happened to mom?" he asked, worriedly.

"She had a stroke," I admitted.

His face went pale as he grasped my hand, pulling me to the car. "She's at the hospital?" he asked.

"Yeah," I confirmed.

He nodded once as he started the engine and drove off towards the hospital.


	10. Chapter 10

At the hospital, Jade rushed ahead of me, anxious to see his mother. I was in the room a few seconds after him. He had his hands clenched into fists at the edge of her bed, so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. I approached more calmly, standing at her side and taking her hand comfortingly.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, covering for Jade's painful lack of words.

"I feel much better now," she answered, "I'm stable, although they're not sure if I'll have another. For now, the doctor instructed me to eat healthier and exercise more."

"Mom, I don't feel comfortable about you living alone," Jade said quickly, "What if something happens when no one's around?"

She dismissed his worry with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine, honey," she said, "It's not a sure thing that I'll have another. I'll be healthier and then I think I'll be okay. Besides, you and Lucy come and visit me every day."

"What about when the baby's born?" he said, "We'll be too busy to go see you every day."

"Then I'll visit you every day," she said, "Everything will be fine."

He looked unsure but said no more. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"When will they release you?" I asked.

"Soon," she said reassuringly, "since I'm already stable, they've no need to keep me any longer."

"That's great," I said, "Give us a call when they do so that we can pick you up."

"What's the point in leaving?" Jade said.

"You have work," I reminded him, "Plus I have some chores to do at home."

He sighed. "Take care of yourself, okay, mom?"

"Honey, if I can successfully raise a child, I can take care of my health," she said calmly, "Don't worry about me. Worry about the baby instead."

He sighed as I tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, Jade," she said, "You have to go to work soon and we haven't even had lunch yet."

"Actually, there's something I need to talk about with Jade alone," his mother said, "Could you please wait outside, Lucy?" I nodded and stepped outside. I walked slowly, my hands on my tummy as I approached the waiting room. I sat in a chair, my legs sore from having to carry around the baby inside of me, taking a deep breath to relax myself when I noticed someone else in the waiting room. He looked oddly familiar as he passed me, eying me with a lustful look in his eye, even as he gazed at the huge bulge of a baby I have in my womb. Feeling a bit nervous, seeing as I didn't have such a lovely past with men like this, I kept my gaze glued to the doorway where Jade would come through any minute now. I ran my fingers through my hair, watching and waiting. It seemed like hours passed before Jade finally came through, an expressionless look on his face as he approached me. He took my hand, helping me to my feet as he held it tightly.

"What did she say?" she asked.

"I wish I could tell you," he said quietly, leaving the conversation at that. I didn't push it further as I followed him to the car, my hand firmly clenching his. I sat in the passenger's seat and he in the driver's seat.

The drive home was completely silent. I gazed out the window, wishing he would just get whatever he was worrying about now off of his chest. I sighed deeply, watching as the trees and houses seemed to be flying by until we reached our home. Not a word was said as I put together a lunch for the both of us while he sat at the kitchen table, his hands folded over each other as he gazed at them intently, almost as if he was wondering why they were there. Normally when he didn't have anything else to do, he helped me make breakfast but it was quite obvious he wasn't feeling up to it now. I set the table and was just about to sit beside him when Jade took my wrist. He suddenly pulled me into a firm embrace, burying his face in my hair.

"I'm so glad I have you, Lucy," he murmured, "I love you so much, okay? I will never take you for granted or lie to you or wrong you in anyway. Don't ever leave me, okay?"

I couldn't stifle my chuckle. "Where's this coming from?" I said softly, returning the hug.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew," he said.

"I've known for years now," I reassured, kissing his cheek tenderly.

He released me and ate slowly, doing little more than nibble on his food; meanwhile I was finished with mine in minutes. I set my plate in the sink and returned to the table, setting my elbows on the table and my face in my palms as I watched him.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly, "I don't want to force you to tell me anything if you don't want to, but it would still be nice to know so I can try to help you."

He just shook his head. "There's nothing you can do," he mumbled, shrugging, "Nobody can do anything about it."

"But I want to comfort you at least," I said, touching his hand.

"Just… don't leave," he said, "That's comfort enough for me."

I sighed. This conversation was going nowhere. "Well hurry up and eat," I said, "You have to go to work soon."

He took his plate to the sink anyways and hurried upstairs. I sighed again, cleaning up after him as I rubbed my belly.

"Maybe you'll make it so these things don't happen, Lily," I murmured.

I was going for a walk, admiring the sunset as I strolled through the local park. It was a bit windy, but it felt nice, considering how hot it was earlier in the day. I took a deep breath, caressing my belly. It was a lovely day. I was just admiring my surroundings when I heard a loud pop. Was that a gunshot? I gasped as I heard a couple of others when I realized they were flying right past me. I jogged away as fast as I could while carrying. I panted as I reached the house, rushing inside. I leaned against the door, my eyes closed. Were they aiming for… me? I nibbled nervously on my lip as I locked all the doors and windows, closing all the curtains as well. I sat upstairs in Jade and my bedroom, closing the door and locking it as I crouched on the side of the bed facing the door, as the window was on the opposite side. The only reason I took so many precautions was because this kind of thing was common when I was younger as I lived in the more violent side of town; I've witnessed drive-by's and murders, but the thing is that nobody except for the boss I was freed from when I was sixteen has ever aimed a gun at me. That's why this was such a shock.

I stayed there, curled into a fetal position against the bed when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I froze, gazing at the door as the footsteps came closer. The doorknob rattled before there was a knock.

"Lucy?" Jade said, "Are you in there?" Relief came over me so suddenly that I almost forgot to open the door. His house keys rattled in his hand as he studied me. "What's wrong?" he asked, "You don't usually lock the door, or close the curtains, let alone locking yourself in our room."

I opened my mouth, about to tell him the events of today without hesitating but then I paused. He was keeping secrets from me; why should I be so open to him? Although today left me trembling and terrified for my life, I still didn't think it was fair if he was keeping things from me. I closed my mouth slowly, shaking my head. "It's nothing really," I said, shrugging. He continued studying me, a skeptical look on his face.

"It doesn't look like nothing," he said, his gaze wandering to the curtains I'd closed earlier, "Your face is pale and you've completely shut yourself out from the outside world, plus," he lifted my hand, which I noticed was still trembling, "you're shaking."

I shook my head. "It was nothing, really," I said, taking my hand back, "I forgot to make dinner. We can order out, if you want."

He still looked curious, but he nodded. "I'll order some pizza," he said.

"Okay," I agreed.

After dinner, we returned to the hospital. Jade's mother murmured things to comfort him from the thing I don't know about as I sat down in a chair. My legs and back ached from the run I was forced into earlier. Jade still didn't know anything about it and I wasn't planning to tell him any time soon; unless it got too bad, that is.

I watched as Jade and his mother whispered to each other and I sighed, feeling out of the loop. I thought I was family too, here, considering I was carrying Jade's daughter. I didn't want to pry; I just thought that by now, it would be nice if we weren't keeping secrets from each other. I glanced at the clock every so often. I loved to visit Jade's mother, but I felt like a third wheel. I ran my fingers through my hair, getting to my feet.

"I'm going to get something to drink from the vending machine," I said, which was clearly unheard by either of them. I sighed, going anyways. I found the vending machine quickly and bought myself a water bottle before turning, nearly running into someone. He looked familiar and gave me a glare.

"Hey," he said, "Want to see my car?"

I shook my head quickly. "No thanks," I said, turning back towards Jade's mother's room. The man grabbed my wrist suddenly and I turned back, attempting to pull away my wrist but he was squeezing too hard. I struggled harder but he only tightened his grip until I felt a sharp pain. I gasped and he let go quickly, hurrying away. I rushed back to the room, rubbing my wrist. Jade glanced back at me as I entered and I felt somewhat glad to be acknowledged.

"Come on, Lucy," he said, "It's getting late; let's go."

I opened my water bottle before approaching him, weaving my fingers through his.

"Bye, mom," he said softly, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, sweety," she said, "Lucy, take care of yourself, honey. I want to see Lily."

I gave her a grateful smile. "I will mom," I said, "See you tomorrow."

As we approached the waiting room, Jade stopped suddenly. I lifted my gaze to him to see that he was gazing at my wrist.

"What's this?" he asked. I gazed down at it to see bruises of the man's hand. My gaze swept the room quickly to see that the man wasn't around; he must've left.

"Oh, nothing," I said quickly, "I… fell."

"It looks like a hand," he said, "Who did this to you?"

I shook my head. "Look, Jade, it's nothing, really," I said, "If I was really worried about it, I would tell you."

"I'm worried about it," he said, "Don't keep secrets from me, Lucy."

"You're the one keeping secrets, Jade," I said, furrowing my brow.

"It doesn't involve me getting physically hurt," he pointed out, "Tell me who did this."

"I don't know," I said, "I don't know who he was."

"You don't think it was," he said slowly, "someone with that guy?"

I shrugged. "I really don't know," I said. He sighed.

"Not this again," he muttered and we began approaching his car.


End file.
